Why there are ghost trips on motorways

When ghost drivers cause accidents on highways, they usually end heavily. « This is one of the most dangerous conceivable traffic situations in general: you drive at a high speed and do not expect oncoming traffic at all, » said the head of accident research by the insurer in the overall association of insurers, Kirstin Zeidler, the German Press Agency. Unfortunately, there are often deaths in such serious accidents.

Fortunately, accidents due to false trips on motorways are comparatively rare, said Zeidler. Nationwide there are 1,500 to 2,000 fabric trips on motorways annually, said Zeidler – that is about four to five a day. The German ADAC speaks of around 1,800 false drivers reports on motorways in Germany per year.

After an evaluation of the ADAC, there were 135 reports of false drivers in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2021. A similar number can also be assumed in recent years, said a spokesman in Munich.

Fatal accident in the Eifel

At the weekend there was an accident in the Eifel on the A60 near Landscheid, about 40 kilometers from the border with Luxembourg, an accident caused by a ghost driver, in which a 23-year-old was killed and three people injured. The false driver had collided with a car occupied with three women and the driver died in the other car.

Her two 24 -year -old passengers suffered serious injuries. The 23-year-old false driver, a US soldier of the Air Base Spangdahlem, was slightly injured. It was unclear why the man was in the wrong direction. The investigation is underway.

Often older people as false drivers

An investigation into accident research by insurers had shown that almost half of the false drivers were older than 65 years old, around 40 percent were older than 75 years. « So that means that it is actually a phenomenon that takes place in seniors, mainly with elderly elderly, » said Zeidler.

In more than half of all cases, ghost trips passed by incorrect inserting at junctions or rest areas. Mostly these are those older people. « There is also a role in confusion, » said Zeidler.

Often also conscious turning on the highway

In 46 percent of the cases, however, a false trip will be made conscious and not accidental. So a third passes through turning maneuvers. « That means people actually take the reverse gear and turn, » said the expert. The reasons are a missed exit, a traffic jam or a police check that you want to deal with. Here the drivers are mostly younger.

According to the ADAC spokesman, some false trips also went back to test samples. In total there are two striking groups with an accumulation of cases: young drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs and also older drivers who are affected by medication.

Stop hands as signs are only limited to stop false drivers, said Zeidler. « You can’t reach everyone who consciously turn. » Accident research of the insurers therefore rely on technical solutions in the vehicle. A mechanism in the car is conceivable that slow down when it drives in the wrong direction.

Warnings to drivers in the vicinity of the ghost driver are also important: this can be done via smartphones or displays in the vehicles. It is important that these drivers immediately throttled the pace and switched to the right lane. « Most accidents happen in the correct direction of travel. »